The research capabilities of NIH investigators here at Brown are compromised by limited confocal microscope access and technology. Over the past several years, researchers have had to postpone experiments, travel to other institutions outside of the region to perform experiments, minimize the experimental protocol to accommodate the existing limitations, and farm out the confocal imaging of projects. This deficiency has created greatly inefficient use of NIH research support of investigators here. The applications of microcopy have also expanded for many investigators and the available, limited instrumentation is incapable of meeting these demands. We see no other way of acquiring such instrumentation without receiving this support from the NCRR. Twelve-faculty members, identified as Major Users, have collaborated to create this request for funds to support the acquisition of an integrated confocal microscope system. The Major User Group consists of twelve different laboratories with 86 researchers. The proposed instrument system contains the following: 1. Zeiss LSM 510 META confocal microscope, 2. Imaged through a Zeiss Axiovert 200 MOT inverted microscope, 3. Equipped with Narishige micromanipulators and an Eppendorf microinjector, 4. Microscope stage temperature control system. The requested instrument would significantly enhance the research productivity of the broad, interdisciplinary community of researchers described here, and greatly improve the biological image capabilities in the region. [unreadable] [unreadable]